Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya has said that they are not in the Indian Premier League (IPL) to prove anything and the franchise’s major focus will be on creating an environment where players can flourish. This will be Hardik’s first assignment as the skipper of an IPL franchise.

Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who will be leading the Gujarat Titans in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season, said that they are not in the tournament to prove anything particularly. Hardik also added that the franchise’s major focus will be on creating an environment where players can flourish in the campaign.

In a video posted by the official Twitter handle of IPL, Hardik Pandya opened up on his expectations from IPL 2022. “I am quite happy with the team, it is a new team. To be honest, we are not here to prove anything, we are here to play good cricket. We are here to make sure the environment is right and players can flourish. There is no expectation as such, we are going to be a team that will make sure that it keeps improving,” he said.

In the recent past, Hardik spent some time on the sidelines due to injury issues. He even went to National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for rehabilitation. Hardik’s last match for India came at the T20 World Cup in the UAE, in 2021.

“I was just spending time with the family, working hard as always. Make sure I prepare well,” added Hardik.

Gujarat Titans are pooled alongside Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Punjab Kings in Group B. The franchise will play their first match of the IPL 2022 against another new franchise Lucknow Super Giants on March 28.